Marks

The Marks and Mysteries of Gerold Porzellan

Unveiling the Imprints of Time

The different marks for Gerold Porzellan over the years

In this chapter, we unravel the enigmatic marks of Gerold Porzellan, decoding the language of porcelain and shedding light on the company’s evolution through time.

In the world of porcelain, the marks adorning each piece are not just insignias; they are historical imprints, revealing a rich tapestry of ownership changes and periods. Gerold Porzellan, during its brief yet illustrious manufacturing years, left behind a trail of marks that serve as a testament to its evolution.

The journey begins with a spectrum of ink colors—green, blue, black, and gold--each potentially denoting shifts in manufacturing ownership or specific eras. The choice of ink color, it seems, was not merely aesthetic but symbolic of transitions within the company.

Words etched onto the porcelain have also undergone subtle shifts. Some pieces bear the proud declaration, “Tettau, Bavaria,” while others succinctly state, “Bavaria.” Bavaria, a renowned region for porcelain manufacturing, witnessed a transition marking convention. Before 1871, marks often included the word Bavaria. However, post-1871, as Germany unified, the marks incorporated “Bavaria, Germany.”

The intrigue deepens with introducing the “Made in Germany” mark, ushered in following the McKinley Tariff Act in the late 19^th century. Yet, history weaves a more complex narrative. The founding of the German Democratic Republic in October 1949 triggered a directive that saw the replacement of “Made in Germany” with “Made in GDR” or “Made in German Democratic Republic” in East Germany. In response, West German manufacturers adopted “Made in W. Germany” Or “Made in West Germany.” This divergence in marking continued until the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the official reunification of Germany on October 3, 1990.

Gerold Porzellan’s marks, thus, offer a window into a precise timeframe. Pieces bearing “Made in Germany” were crafted between 1937 and October 1949, bridging a pivotal period in history. Those with “Made in Western Germany” or “Made in W. Germany” originated after the founding of the German Demographic Republic and persisted until October 1989.

Amidst the backdrop of the Cold War, Gerold Porzellan ingeniously employed the "Gerold & Co” mark for exports into communist countries, circumventing the bans on West German products. This clever tactic allowed the company to maintain a presence in markets closed off by political ideologies.

However, the complexities of dating Gerold Porzellan do not end with marks. The reuse of molds over the years means that pieces with the same model number may have been crafted years apart. Each piece carries its own unique story, etched in porcelain and ink, waiting to be deciphered.


Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Fig.3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5
All three vases look alike (Fig. 1 & 2), yet each has a slightly different mark indicating they have been produced at different times, which I believe to be between 1949 and 1989 (Fig. 3-5).
Shown below are the different marks the company has used:

NP Neu Porzellan Tettau Used during 1920-1937 when the company was called the Neue Porzellanfabrik Tettau e.G.m.b.H. copyright © Karyn Hudson Used with Permission		Neue Tettau Porzellanfabrik Bavaria AG Used from1928-1937 copyright 2013 JoAnn Snow
Neu-Tettau Bavaria Swan Used during 1929-1937 when the company was called Neue Porzellanfabrik Tettau A.G. copyright © 2013 Anonymous Used with permission		The words "Made in Germany, U.S. – Zone," were added to marks on pieces from some factories in the Occupied section of Germany after World War II. Photo Copyright © 2013 John McKennee Used with Permission
Immediately after WW2, what was to become West Germany was partitioned into the British, French, and U.S. Zones of Occupation. The U.S. Zone included southern Germany including the area known as Tettau, Bavaria where Gerold Porzellan was produced. The Americans often guaranteed the purchase of the whole production run of certain manufactured goods from German factories because the German manufacturers sold plenty of their products to Allied servicemen who were based in Germany, many of whom had their families living with them. Along with other manufactured goods in that region, manufacturers had the country-of-origin mark as "US Zone Germany" until the early fifties when the Allies ceased being armies of occupation and then the marks became "Made in Western Germany".

Gerold & Co Tettau Bavaria 1937-1960 copyright © 2008 JoAnn Snow Gerold's that are marked, "Gerold & Co" were used for exporting into communist countries as all West German products were banned. Many companies used this tactic to get around the bans.	Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Unknown Date, but pre-1949 Green Mark copyright © Lindsay Wilcox 2008	Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Made in Western-Germany Here is an example of a pre-1949 mark with a separate "Made in Western-Germany" stamp. These items had already been made, but because of the founding of the GDR, they quickly added the stamp to comply with trade.	Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Made in Western Germany Post-1949 - 1989 Green Mark. Note the omission of the hyphen between Western Germany. copyright © 2008 Cindy Amundsen

Other Gerold Porzellan Trademarks
Gerold-Tettau, Bavaria Seit 1904 (Since 1904) Made in Germany Handgefertigt (Handmade) 1937 and October 1949 in Green copyright © 2008 J.L. Starken Used with Permission	Some products were decorated in the U.S. as indicated by this gold mark: Hand Decorated in the U.S.A. copyright © Tim Fitzpatrick 2003 Used with permission	Old Vienna Souvenir from Austria Gerold Porzellan Handmade Export mark for Austria Used with Permission Anonymous	Gerold Kueps Made in Bavaria handgefertigt (Handmade) Used from 1997 to 2002 by Gerold Kueps, a subsidiary of the Seltmann Weiden Group that bought out the Gerold Porzellan company.
The "Hand Painted" (Handgefertigt) stamp was not commonly used. Many Gerolds were ordered by gift shops and other exclusive shops or exported, so it might have been a contractual detail ordered by a particular company that wanted people to understand the item was indeed hand-painted.
Gerold Porzellan Mark and the letter "N" below a Crown. copyright © 2014 The Linden House Antiques Used with Permission I have seen this mark a few times and after some research, as far as I can tell, this mark may have been used to export into communist countries.		Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Made in Western-Germany 1949 - 1989 Gold Mark (usually found on a souvenir item) copyright © Tim Fitzpatrick 2003 Used with permission.
Paper Seals
Neue Porzellanfabrik Gerold & Co. Tettau Paper Seal 1919-1937	Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Paper Label copyright © JoAnn Snow Used in the 1950's	Made in West Germany Round Seal used after 1989 copyright © JoAnn Snow	75 Jahre (Years) Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Blue/Gold Seal copyright © Rudolf Buss 2003 Used with permission
80 Jahre (Years) Gerold Porzellan Bavaria Blue/Gold Seal copyright © 2012 Nicole Grevecke Used with permission.	Gold Diamond-Shaped Label Gerold Porzellan No history on this label copyright © Tim Fitzpatrick 2003 Used with permission.	Golden Crown E & R Western Germany Black Seal copyright © Celeste Day Used with permission	This is the seal used by Ebeling and Reuss Importers located in Pennsylvania, which is still in business today. In the 1950s they were the largest suppliers of high-quality giftware, including porcelain products, in the Northeastern United States. The original owners, John E. F. Zeh, Frederick Ebeling, and Theodore Reuss started in Philadelphia, but settled in Allentown. Today they are owned by the Strathmore Corporation of Pennsylvania.

Design Florist Mark In the 70's, this mark was made for a line of ultra-modern vases by Gerold Porzellan for florists.
Imprinted	Imprinted	Imprinted	Design Florist Paper Logo
Blue Pageant Marks
"Some Blue Pageant products have the word Porzellam, but it is not misspelled, rather it is a trademark used by Gerold Porzellan. The "Blue Pageant" was a special unmarked (no Gerold mark) export series produced before 1960. One distributor was "Clarkson Table Appointments" in Canada." Information copyright 2004 Christopher-Simon Marshall. Used with permission. http://www.porcelainmarksandmore.com	Blue Pageant Porzellan Bavaria - Germany The black area of the top image is difficult to see, but there is a crown and gold lettering, the letters "TA"	Here is a better photo of the Blue Pageant TA mark.	Blue Pageant Design

Neue Porzellan Tettau Mark		Gerold-Serie Antik Weiss copyright © 2013 Monika Brigitta Fuchs Used with Permission This mark was found on a lovely dish with Model # 8194. I believe it to be a special line of products made for upscale shops or even for one company. The owner describes it as having been purchased in the 1980s through "Heine-Versand", an exclusive line of Otto-Versand. Otto-Versand was once the largest mail-order catalog in the world and sold everything from shoes to household decorations. Heine-Versand still operates today.	These are examples of products with this mark. A dish and a coffee service set.